Regaining the Past (Kiane)
by Silver of Dragons
Summary: Diane suspects that King is hiding something from her. But will investigating really lead to a bright future? Or will it bring their world down in flames?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one: Dream

'_Harlequin?'  
__'Yes?'  
__'Promise that you will always love me, will you?'  
__'Diane... of course I will promise you, I will promise you that I will love you as long as I live, always.'_

Diane sat bolt upright, gasping for air.

...

King watched Diane from chastiefol on the other side of the room. He loved to watch her work, and the way she smiled at the customers lit up her face and made his heart warm. She'd stumble over a foot clumsily, and then hide her face behind her hair and apologize hastily, and he'd have to suppress his laughter the ashamed look on her face.

He turned to catch Ban smirking at him from the kitchen behind the bar. A slow blush crawled up his cheeks as he realized that he wasn't being the most subtle while staring at Diane. The embarrassment soon vanished into anger and he started towards the blue-haired man.

"Yo, King" Meliodas suddenly jumped out from behind the bar to interrupt the fairy's rage, making him fall off his floating pillow.

"Ah, Captain, don't do that" King rubbed the back of his head.

"I couldn't help noticing that you were free, and decided we needed to restock in the kitchen. Ban's made a list and I'm deciding to give it to you" the blonde looked proud as he pushed the price of crumpled paper into King's hands.

"Oh my goddesses" the number of ingredients on the list were quite overwhelming. "How in Britannia am I supposed to carry all of these?"

"It's already taken care of" the captain declared, "I am giving you Diane for the day!"

...

After King had recovered from his fainting spell, he and Diane set off to the nearest village, Giafarnor.

But throughout the entire trip, he couldn't help noticing Diane's constant string of sighs and her unfocused gaze as she stared into the distance. His concern grew as she tripped over a large, and obvious, boulder lying in their path.

"Diane!" He cried as the giantess stumbled. "You look tired. Maybe... maybe we should turn back."

"I'm fine, honestly" she smiled at him unconvincingly.

"You seem preoccupied about something, do you... do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, it was just a dream I had last night" she passed her hand over her face as if to awaken her senses. This time when she looked at him her eyes were bright, and he pushed the nagging worry to the back of his mind.

"Well if there is anything I can do to help, just ask me, okay?"

"Okay." The wind suddenly picked up around them, blowing her hair into his face, almost knocking him out of the sky.

"OH GODDESSES KING I'M SO SORRY ARE YOU ALRIGHT OH MY- "

King blushed at how cute she was when she got flustered. "Diane I'm fine," he said, laughing at her sudden concern "Don't worry about it."

She returned his laugh with a childish giggle and they chatted idly for the rest of the trip.

...

The village was more of a cute little town, full of oblivious people, so no one seemed to pay attention to the overly large girl and floating boy. After buying what they needed, Diane decided that window shopping was necessary. When King objected, she pouted at him in the adorable way she did and he gave in with a sigh.

There were many small boutiques and salons in the central square, so while Diane insisted on going inside each and every one of them, he tempted her away for a bit with the promise of food. He could hear her stomach growling and smiled and decided to go over to the ice-cream stand. Because who doesn't love ice-cream?

Apparently, the kids thought so too. Diane had shrunk down to a smaller size so that she could also enjoy the tasty snack, and King blushed furiously as she smiled at him. The smile reminded him of when they were kids, carefree and joyous, oblivious to their cruel fate. His blushed drained from his cheeks and he stared forlornly at the ground. Diane had noticed his change in posture and walked over to him.

"Hey, King, are you alright?" Her concern touched his heart and he forced what he hoped seemed like an 'I'm ok' smile onto his face.

"As long as I'm with you." It took him a second to realise what he had just said and his face flushed red. "I-I mean, I-It's not like th-that. I-I mean, it's not that you're not great, I, umm- "

"Jeez, King it's fine" Diane's face was slightly dusted pink. "As long as you're okay"

"Ummm yeah okay" he muttered under his breath awkwardly. Lucky for him, a little girl ran up to him, breaking the tension between him and Diane.

"Hawoooooo!" Her cheerful face seemed somewhat familiar to King. "Are you the farwy in the wim-bow?"

"Who?" King furrowed his eyebrows and looked around. What fairy? He could barely understand the kids baby talk.

"The farwy Hark-win who used to live on the hill in the cwave wif the giant-girl." She seemed delighted. "You also float. Hark-win float too. Wifout wings."

King stiffened. Did she say...? Nonononono. She couldn't have. Right? It had been almost 200 years since then. He looked around and his eyes widened. He took a sharp breath. He thought the village was destroyed? This was bad. What if Diane remembered. He told her that Harlequin had been a dream. If she finds out he lied, all his chances would be ruined. He had to get out of there.

All these thoughts went through his head in a split second, and he blinked to banish them. It was going to be fine.

Diane looked over at King and raised her eyebrows in confusion. She seemed slightly startled. "And what is Harkwin doing in a window?" She queried.

"He is in the wim-bow cause he save us from bad farwy." The young girl looked so serious it was hard not to laugh. "Let me show you!" Her bubbly personality was back again.

"Ummm... Okay?!" The little girl tugged on Diane's hand, pulling her towards what looked like the town hall. She pointed at a large stained window in the wall. It depicted a floating boy touching fingers with a young giantess. They were outside a cave with the sun setting behind them. But what scared King the most was the striking resemblance it had to him and Diane. He glanced over at the sin of envy, only to see her staring puzzled at the glass. Oh no. King wished he knew what was going on in her head.

He was planning to somehow lead Diane away when an old man stepped out from behind a tree. Goddesses, not another interruption. He wished he could just disappear. Along with the senior below him.

The old man didn't seem to have any intention of leaving though. "You seem to be curious about our sacred window I see?" He smiled in such a friendly way it was hard to resist smiling back at him. "The tale of the giantess and the fairy is a well-known story in our little village."

Curiosity danced like fire in Diane's eyes and she knelt beside the man. He must have seen it because he continued to tell his 'tale'. King could only hope that it wasn't the story of his deepest regret.

"In a cave on a hill lived two beings. They were so different and rare that if you saw them you would rub your eyes and turn back the way you came. Only a few people ever saw them and those that did tell tales of a kindly giantess and an overprotective fairy." King couldn't help but to huff at this and glared at the old man, wishing for him to stop.

"We mostly left each other alone except when occasionally crossing each other while hunting. But one day a vengeful fairy visited our village. Most say he was mad with rage at a sin that the humans committed long ago and wanted us dead for it."

"So many innocent villagers died that day and everything we had worked so hard for had gone up in flames. We tried to hide in the forest, but the flame beat us back. It seemed like the end. Until the fairy on the hill showed up. He killed the other with a rose and put an end to the slaughter. Thanks to him, we were able to restore the village to its former glory." The old man gazed up kindly at them.

"This window was made where we can often look upon it and remember the debt we owe them. They disappeared over 200 years ago after being here for 700. Every man, women and child knows there story. And as you are visitors, it's only proper we share it with you too."

"Well thank you it was a truly fascinating tale, but we have to go now." King stared at Diane with pleading eyes. What if she remembers? It made him feel elated but terrified at the same time. He hugged chastiefol closer to his chest.

But Diane had no intention of leaving. "But King, we haven't learnt the most important part yet!" She leaned closer to the man below them to ask a question.

"O-ok-aayyyy." What would she ask him? What if it jogs her memory? His vision was starting to swim. Don't panic, he told himself. It's probably nothing. He turned to see what Diane would say.

"What were their names?"

Okay. It's okay. No one would remember right. He tried to relax. But the thought of the little girl reminded him. IT WAS GONNA BE FINE. But even his mental shouts were drowned in the next two words.

"Harlequin and Diane."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey guys. I guess I forgot to say that this is my first ever fanfiction, so please don't judge it too badly. Any feedback would be welcome as I hope to improve my writing for future stories. **_

...

"_Diane and Harlequin"  
_The words repeated themselves over and over inside her head. What...?  
"_Diane and Harlequin"  
_King had told her it was just a dream, and she can trust King. Right...?  
"_Diane and Harlequin"  
_The words fit together so well. Why...?

Diane shook her head to clear the reoccurring thoughts. She looked over to the floating boy by her side as a signal to leave. But all she got in return was 2 amber orbs, staring at her in a panicked daze. What was he thinking? His unnecessary worry made her uneasy. So instead she thought to Meliodas. Thoughts of him helped clear her mind.

Blond hair, kind smile, small and perfect, amber eyes... 'No' she thought to herself. Green eyes. She frowned slightly. King was interrupting her chain of thought. She looked away from him. But whenever she tried to think of her perfect guy, green faded into golden-brown, and she'd hear a voice calling for her.

"_Can't catch me, Diane"_

"_Harlequi-in"_

She shook her head. These visions and dreams addled her mind too often these days. Her sigh of frustration didn't go unnoticed. In her little daydream, she had forgotten about the old man, young girl and King. She forced a smile that was probably very unconvincing and turned away quickly grabbing King and yelling back at them as she ran away.

"Wow, thanks for the story! It was very interesting!"

She could almost hear the huffs of disapproval from the senior she had left behind, but her mind was on other things. Such as why King had lied to her. Harlequin was starting to sound more like a real person than a dream. When she got to the beginning of the road, she released the fairy from her grasp and crossed her arms. She hoped the look on her face told him enough, and he would say something before she had to ask.

"Diane...?" The look on the face told her that he understood, but his tone said he was oblivious. Diane would've gladly killed him given the chance.

"King... Are you going to tell me? WHO IS HARLEQUIN!" She was giving in to her emotions now, and she felt frustrated and irritable. All the giantess wanted was a straight answer and yet no one would give her one. The name sparked something inside of her and she wanted to embrace it, like a key to a box that was hidden in the back of her mind.

"...Diane..."

"Please, King, please. Tell me?" The sheer desperation in her voice surprised her. She felt like an idiot for caring so much, but the feeling she had when his name was spoken...

"I don't know!" He was lying. Again.

"You're the fairy king, aren't you! Tell me!"

All he did was turn away. What was he so afraid of?

"The old man said Harlequin was a fairy! Please King, isn't there anything you can say! Anything..." her voice faded as he turned around.

"WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT HIM SO MUCH!" The fairy's face was streaked with tears. "He never did anything for you."

Diane's eyes widened in shock. King had never talked that way to her before. And he _did_ know something! She took a step back.

He watched her with weary eyes, before turning and fleeing down the road back towards the boar hat.

And Diane could only watch his small form dissolve into the distance.

...

She stayed by the road staring for quite a long time. Eventually, a bird flew past, interrupting her line of sight, and she shook out of her stupor and picked up the shopping. The carefree moments that had conspired that morning were only distant memories now, and she walked back home in a cloud of melancholy.

...

_**This was a pretty short chapter sorry. The next one should probably be a lot longer.**_


	3. Chapter 3

King felt so lost. He had basically gone and yelled at Diane, then ran away and left her there. Alone. With 50 tonnes of groceries.

He sulked into his hammock. Ban was singing loudly and being drunk on the floor of the room. It was all Bans fault. Why did he need so many ingredients!? Then Diane wouldn't have had to come, and she would never ask those questions and he'd probably be watching her sleeping from his window. Instead, he convinced her he was a dirty liar and left her alone. And the sun still shone brightly. How ironic.

Actually, it was the moon shining brightly. The moon that his precious giantess should be resting under. Where was she!? Guilt filled King like water filling a bucket. She could be lost or hurt, and he had wasted an entire day feeling sorry for himself. Pathetic. He got up and rushed to the door. He was going to find Diane and bring her home if it was the last thing he did.

...

Diane could feel herself losing control of her body. She was trudging back to the Boar's Hat with a feeling of fear settled deep in her gut. _'King'_ she thought._ 'King, why?'_ He had left her. Left her when she needed him most.

And now she could feel herself drop the shopping items she held and turn from the path. _'Wha-' _The groggy thought was lost in the panic that was taking over. _'What is happening to me!?'_ She tried to regain her self-control, but a pain flared in her neck, like something had hit her there. A spell or enchantment? She couldn't remember seeing anyone near-by. Something important was happening. She was sure of it. And then the voices began filling her head. Again.

'_Harlequin!'_

'_Wanna play?'_

'_Diane...?'_

'_...love me?"_

'_Pigs are yummy!'_

She shook her head. No more! She had to regain control! The giantess felt that something inside her was changing and it didn't feel natural. The controlling force was pulling her into the forest, her legs moving against her will.

She gave one final try on breaking the puppet master that held her like this. She mustered all her will power and tried to push the presence away. CRACK. The giantess's mind blanked.

Why was she fighting it again? Her arms pushed aside the last few branches at the end of the woods.

What was she supposed to be doing? She walked robotically up a hill.

Where was she? Entering a cave, Diane stared at a flat piece of stone. It seemed like the only familiar object in this strange new world. She lay down on it to soothe her jumbled thoughts.

Who was she again? She fell asleep, listening to the voices of past memories, and humming a tune from a time she was yet to remember.

...

Stressing was an understatement. King was almost pulling his hair out in worry. It was all his fault. He never should have left her. He was too busy being afraid of himself to notice how Diane felt. And now here he was almost crying at his own stupidity.

Something had shifted in the spell he cast on the giantess. Something inside of the sin of envy was fighting the enchantment, and his grip on her memories was slowly loosening. He could almost feel the stolen thoughts slip past his fingers back into her head. But he didn't know whether to feel glad or disturbed.

Every action has a reaction, and what would happen when the spell dissipates was unknown to him.

He held back tears as he flew in desperate circles around the clearing in front of the Boars Hut. _'Idiot, idiot, idiot!'_. He cursed himself silently. Rushing into things without considering the consequences, without thinking what the outcome could mean for both of them. He slammed his back against the rough bark of one of the nearby trees and sobbed. _'Diane!'_ He wailed internally _'Please, come back to me. Where are you? Please!'_

Silently cursing himself from being so weak, the fairy king sunk to the ground and fell asleep, tears streaking his face.

...

_In a cave on a hill, there was a young giantess. She slept with the moon shining on her back and couldn't have looked more at peace. But if you looked closer you could tell that she was in pain. Her confused expression would distort and twist. The sweat on her forehead gleamed and her breath came out in ragged gasps. Diane was in pain. And no one was there to help her._

...

_**This chapter was shorter than I intended. I hope the next one will be longer, but I doubt it. I've never been good at writing long chapters. **__**T_T**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry it took so long to write such a short chapter. I've been pretty busy in the past few weeks, but I did my best to get this through to you guys. Thx for all the feedback and reviews, I hope you like the chapter.**_

...

It was quite a while before anyone came to check up on King. The other sins had no reach on what had happened between him and Diane. So for quite a while they stood back and watched as he stressed and fretted over hidden feelings.

But as time passed, Diane didn't return, and King cried himself to sleep.

That was when Meliodas took it upon himself to see what was up with his comrade. Assuming that Diane was the centre of the problem, the dragon sin approached the matter carefully. He walked over to King and gently shook him awake.

"Hey."

"Mmmm." The fairy king blinked in the morning light.

"Ya know, you've got all us sins worried. We have no idea what's going on, and Diane hasn't returned yet."

"...she hasn't?"

"No."

"Oh..."

"You realise it's our problem too. We would appreciate any info you can give us."

The sin of sloth shook his head hesitantly. Meliodas was not convinced. So he pressed harder.

"King, you're acting like she's gone forever or something. You're freaking us all out. You have to tell us what's happened so we can help." King continued staring into his knees.

"All you've got to do is tell us she isn't dying and I'll go away." King looked at him with something between a glare and a call for help.

Gentle probing wasn't working. Meliodas sighed.

"You were the one responsible for her, you know." King just nodded. His acceptance made the captain uneasy.

"If she's hurt somewhere it's your fault." This got a reaction.

King looked shocked. He turned to Meliodas, shaking.

"Y-you don't know! Diane's probably fine. Your overreacting. I didn't do anything. It was an accident, not my fault, not my fault, not my..." King continued muttering under his breath. The sin of wrath frowned, his worry for the giantess increasing with every word that escaped from King's mouth.

He walked back inside to his fellow sins, leaving the fairy outside in a half-crazed mess. His comrades looked at his unreadable expression and sighed. This was a side of King they had never seen. Even though he'd never really been open, pushing them away without an angered word was out of character, and for the first time, even Ban felt like something was actually wrong.

...

"_Harlequin don't leave me!" Diane's desperation heightened with her rising fever. 'No no no' she thought. 'Don't go.'_

"_Diane you're sick, just let me-" The giantess grabbed the struggling fairy from the air._

"_Please don't leave me Harlequin, I don't want to be alone again." Her eyes filled with tears and she began to sob quietly. If Harlequin left, the darkness would swallow her again, and she wouldn't be able to keep going. He kept the darkness at bay. He illuminated the world around her, and if he left, the emptiness in her heart would expand and slowly eat her out from within._

_The King sighed as he looked into the pools of despair that were his beloved's eyes._

"_Ok..." Her happiness reluctantly agreed as Diane pulled him down onto her chest. _

_And there they stayed until a friendly face popped around the corner and woke the sleeping 'couple'._

"_Hello..."_

A wave of nausea rolled over Diane as the memories changed over again.

...

King felt every change that occurred in Diane. Every memory, every moment, was another grain through the gaps of his cupped hands. Small pieces, but each meaningful to both them and there past. But when the last grain slips through, would they still have a future?

...

_**Merry Christmas all! I hope you enjoy the holiday and have a happy New Year. I'll probably get a bit distracted from writing, but the next chapter is already been started, so progress is underway ~ xox Silver.**_


	5. Chapter 5

C5

Gowther stared through the glass that separated him from the clearing where King sat. Stabilising the fairy's mind was no easy task, and to do it subtly was harder. He squinted in another attempt to ooze through the thick barrier sheltering the others interior thoughts.

It was only 2 hours ago when Meliodas came asking for answers about the fairy kings mood. But Kings mind was a panicky mess and was good at guarding himself from the dolls mental attacks. Stabilising Kings mind would clear the ringing chaos from interrupting his work on the barrier that protected the inner workings of the others mind.

That was until Kings presence started fading. Jolted from the task at hand, his watch on King had slipped and the fairy was now flying away. Gowther tilted his head to the side and adjusted his glasses. Maybe an escape what his friend needed.

…

Resisting Gowther's probing wasn't as hard as King thought it would be. He smiled to himself. Finally, the fog in his mind had cleared. Watching Diane from a safe distance seemed like the best decision on both his and her accounts. The fairy king was a coward and wasn't going to risk facing her anguish again that week. But he also couldn't let her suffer the effect of the curse on her own. He sighed as he admitted it to himself. It was a curse. Even if he had had 'good' intentions, the spell King cast on Diane was a curse no less, and it was painful to accept the truth.

The fairy had been wandering mindlessly through the forest and now that he had come to his senses, he realised he had no idea where he was. With a sigh, he began to float upwards until something orange and strangely familiar caught his eye. King picked the piece of fabric from a low growing branch. He looked down the trampled path that had so obviously been created by Diane. How he had missed it was unknown by him, but he _was _incredibly tired.

But with every foot of land he passed over, the aching in his heart increased until he was forced to the ground. Each step was agony, and he realised he was feeling the giantesses pain as his own.

All because of his one mistake.

…

Diane's mind kept flicking in and out of conscience. The numb feeling of not being able to control herself had passed, and she almost wished it hadn't. Because now she could feel the pain, clear and writhing in the base of her skull. Every one of her memories had returned, but in shattered pieces, so when she tried to put together the puzzle, they grazed and stabbed at her mind with razor sharp edges.

Back into the world of dreams, images flickering through her mind, bittersweet, happiness, hurt.

Back into the cave where her dreams were crushed, pain branching through her bones.

Repeat.

It was all she knew. No longer having the strength to unjumble the chaos in her mind, she gave in. For the first time in her life, Diane had been broken, and no one was there to save her.

…

Meliodas was a lot more worried than he let on.

When he was with the sins he would smile and laugh and act as if everything was okay, but every one of them could sense the gaping hole where Diane and King used to be. None of them knew what was going on, but the captain didn't turn around or mention the missing persons.

It had only been 3 days, yet for the sin of wrath it felt like a thousand lifetimes. With two of his comrades missing


	6. Chapter 6

_**I have started watching fairy tail, which is why my chapters are being posted later and later. But because I hate unfinished fanfics, I WILL complete this one, even if it isn't exactly amazing.**_

…

King felt himself falling. He felt the words 'I give up' brush gently against his ear. He felt the blood from the cut on his forehead run down the side of his face as he pushed himself up from the ground again. Kicking the sharp stone that had injured him and continuing his stumbling trot, waiting to trip over and start the painful cycle again. This was all he knew.

Fall and get hurt.

Rise again to agony.

Repeat.

And then he saw her. Diane lay in the cave on the hill. A place that was their home for many decades, torn apart by a curse that he lay upon them. A curse only he could break.

So, he ran. Ignoring the throbbing pain that lay deep in his side, he sprinted as swiftly as possible up the hill he used to call home, and to the side of the giantess he loved. Placing his tiny hand on the small of her back, he shivered as her body convulsed underneath his touch. He could almost feel the invisible thread that bound their fates. King wondered what would happen if he snapped it.

Would it break and free them of the spell that hung over them?

Would it send them spiraling into darkness, with no way back to the top?

Or would it ruin their relationship and destroy their love?

With a single tug he could pull away the lifeline that connected them without clear knowledge of the result. He could make the same mistake again and have to start over, each century eating away at his life force. So many possibilities merged into a cloud of doubt in Kings head. Another one of Diane's memories grazed his hand and he looked up into her sleeping face.

That's when he realized that she had given up. She had submitted her fate and was waiting for the final judgement. She wasn't going to fight anymore, wasn't going to try. Any motivation of keeping her own will had crumbled along with her mind and soul, everyone and everything meaning nothing to the pain racking her body.

Harlequin was going to have to fight for the both of them.

…

_She felt something press against her back. It seemed gentle and loving, but it felt like a hot iron poker to Diane. Without the strength to shrug it off, she turned towards the attacker's direction._

_Opening her eyes was painful and the sunlight pierced her skull. When the light faded, she could make out a small figure kneeling next to her body. A patchwork of memories formed a disfigured picture in her mind as a little voice in the back of her mind urged her to remember._

'_Har…le…quin?' She questioned the voice in her head._

'_Harlequin?' She tried again. It felt right as a small sliver of awareness fought to confirm._

'_HARLEQUIN!' The name sent a bolt of electricity down her spine as she silently screamed his name into the voids of her conscious. Diane knew he would never hear her call and despair struggled to find a place among the darkness that had taken over her heart. Nothing had ever felt so real to her and the dread of dying was slowly ebbing away into calm acceptance. The sin of envy wondered why she had never given up before. It was so easy, so fulfilling, and…_

_A sharp tug seemed to almost rip away her very core. Another nearly took her soul from her. And another made her black out, something she hadn't done throughout all the pain she had been through. _

_Through the blackness that enveloped her mind a strange calmness washed over her. It gave her a new type of strength, one that lifted her up and let her drift through the clouds of an orange sunset. She could see the world turn slowly below her, eyes focusing on random scenes from a passed life. Diane smiled as the memories finally made sense, knit together in a shining web of pure bliss. She remembered the coolness of hands as they brushed against her, whispered encouragement from friends, battles that came and went, and a future that now seemed impossible._

…

The gasp that resonated from Diane reassured him she was still alive. Each pull at the invisible thread that tied both of them together tore a fiber from the spell that was binding them. King was grinning as he sensed the curse become fainter and fade into the air. But the constant tugging was taking something more with it.

As his very being disintegrated around him, his grin stood out against the pale apparition of his face. King laughed, but only a gurgled cackle could be heard from his throat. Thinking he was saving both of them, taking them away from the edge, walking towards a future, but in reality, jumping off a cliff and plummeting further for a frozen eternity.

Already deteriorating from his recent panic attack, his mental state worsened as he loosened the screws that held down their fate. Continually breaking down the spell that had only become more harmful since the beginning, continually breaking down the support columns from beneath him. Tunnel vision obscured the bigger picture, and he didn't notice the shadows of his mind closing in on him until the sun went out and pitched him into a starless night, giddily wondering if daylight would ever reach his eyes again.

…

_A warm glow turned her away from the rotating sphere below her, and a blazing sun beckoned her away from her doom, taking her back to the surface and into the arms of friends, comrades, family. Interrupting her shadowed thought's, Diane sighed happily._

_She had finally come home._

…

_**Starting to come to a conclusion! There will probably only be 2 chapters after this one. Also see my Wattpad account for updated versions of the chapters! They haven't changed, just been fine tuned.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**This chapter is longer than the others. It will be the last before the epilogue that I may write.**_

...

Meliodas looked up from the mug he was polishing. A sharp twinge resounded from the dragon's mark on his upper arm. Catching eyes with Merlin, he knew he wasn't the only one. Each sins animal brand burned with a searing pain that warned them that a companion was on the verge of death. So he sat there.

Sat there and ignored the pain.

Thought to have faith in them to climb out of that dark place.

To overcome a curse with the power of love.

To save themselves.

Only when the pain in his arm started getting worse he realized that some people needed help. Support in a situation where both people were in too much pain to see each other clearly. Sighing, he got to his feet, putting on a bright and cheery attitude.

"Well, it seems like our two friends aren't doing so well. Who's up to save them from near death!" If we aren't already too late.

The small crowd around him looked happier, and a small amount of hope wormed its way into his heart.

"Then let's go!"

...

They followed a trail of destruction to the bottom of a hill. Sensing their teammates close by, they stumbled up it as fast as they could. Upon reaching the top, Meliodas halted. The rest of the sins could sense his horror, and quickly raced to join him. And they too gasped at the sight that beheld them.

King, or who they assumed to be King, was pressing his hand to Diane's, or who they assumed to be Diane's, back. Their outlines were faded and crumbling, the harsh breeze blowing them away. Almost immediately, Elizabeth ran to help her friend. Yanking the fairy off her, the warm glow of her healing enveloped the giantess. The rest of the seven stood by watching as the figure of the sin of envy became more defined. Merlin rushed to help, shrinking Diane so she was completely encased in the pinkish glow.

But for whatever reason, the fairy king was forgotten, a fading shadow in the bright light. As his comrades rushed to help the one he loved, he smiled. Because in some strange, twisted way, he believed he had saved her from the damnation he had brought upon them. So he lay there unnoticed in the shade of the glow, wishing for death to take him swiftly, hoping that no one would try to save him. Harlequin didn't feel the arms that lifted him, or the whispered words of worry that were passed over his unmoving body. Instead, he drifted into a dream that he prayed was death.

...

Diane woke up a week later, with no memory of the event. But what she did remember filled her with so much joy that she wondered how she had even forgotten in the first place. Days where only happiness and laughter were present, where she could be herself and no one would judge her. The story of a little giantess and the wingless fairy. And only a few seconds after she opened her eyes, she remembered.

"Harlequin!" She sat up straight in her bed and gasped. All those days so vivid and real. And that face...

"Diane? Diane, you're awake! HEY EVERYONE, DIANE IS AWAKE!" Elizabeth yelled at the sins that awaited downstairs. She had been by the shrunken giantesses side the entire time and the open eyes that were before her were delightful to see. But the eyes themselves looked worried. "Elizabeth, where is Harlequin?"

"Who?"

"HARLEQUIN!" Her voice was high and pitchy, cracking from all the time she had spent sleeping. "Elizabeth! Where is he?" Suddenly realizing that no one here actually knew King's real name, her eyes widened. The fight that led to her walking away, the happy memories that caused her so much physical pain, the small hand on her back that was her saviour and her doomsday at the same time. "Where is King?" This time she could barely be heard, his name just a whisper on her chapped lips. "Please, Elizabeth, where is he?"

The relief that overcame her when the princess smiled was enormous. She had to cover her mouth to keep in her sobs of joy. "Oh goddesses, thank you." And her very own goddess beamed as the shrunken giantess was surrounded by the sins who had rushed upstairs to greet her. "Thank you." And the peace of sleep took her away again.

...

King woke up to an empty room. He sat up groggily, wondering where on earth Ban could be at this time of the morning. Then the week's previous events hit him. And they hit him hard. His eyes widened and he tried to get out of bed, but his legs wouldn't move. He tried rolling, or levitating, but exhaustion was wrapped around him in a thick blanket and prevented him from moving freely. His glaring eyes wouldn't stay open and his body wouldn't sit upright. Sliding back down into his hammock he at least tried to open his mouth to shout, yet the wariness settled on his lips stuck them firmly closed.

'I just wanted to tell her... wanted to tell her I'm sorry... Diane...' His final thoughts were snatched by an unrestful slumber, and his dreams were tossed with the memories of unimaginable agony, losing control, hurting people and animals alike. 'Harlequin' resounded over and over again in his head and he tried to swim to the surface of all the chaos, but it dragged him down into the pain of the past, the sins he still hadn't atoned for.

But even his unbalanced sleep couldn't last forever. "HARLEQUIN!" The voice pierced his nightmares like a spear of light in dark waters. He heard her voice. It wasn't angry, or mad, or hurt. It was searching, and it wanted him. Tears came to Kings eyes as he forced his aching body to move towards the source of the voice. He needed to reach her. Stumbling to his feet, he was reminded of his journey through the forest, her pain dragging him down. But now the anguish was lifting him up, strengthening him so that he could rush into her arms and tell her sorry for all the hurt he brought to them.

In a wobbly line, he reached the giantesses door and swayed. There were voices inside. His comrade's voices. The voices of his brothers and sisters in arms. So badly he wanted to push open the door that divided them, yet his wavering strength gave out. Her voice had been drowned out, his source of power now gone, and all he could do was collapse. Again. The feeling of uselessness circled him in a way where he could only get used to it. Fading away from the world again.

...

Diane woke up at around midnight and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Not wanting to get up just yet, she snuggled into the fluffy blanket Elizabeth had let her borrow and squeezed her eyes shut. Her mind constantly replayed past memories, and visions of the days of happiness danced behind her heavy lids. Recollections of the years spent together drummed inside her head and made it impossible to sleep in a world of churning colours. Slightly dizzy, she looked around for Elizabeth, hoping her friend could ease the dull ache. But the princess was asleep in a chair beside her bed, looking peaceful in her slumber. Diane brought her hand up to stroke the side of the girls' face.

"Sleep well, Elizabeth. I won't wake you just yet." She giggled for no particular reason and reluctantly rolled from her bed to stand up. She hoped that a glass of water would subdue the chaos in her mind. But instead of hitting hard wooden boards, the giantess tripped over Meliodas's sleeping form, landing on Ban, who was beside him. "What the..?" She paid them no mind. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the hazy figures of the other sins, Merlin floating above Escanor, who was clutching Gowther like a teddy. Smiling, she was glad they had stuck by her side.

But where was Harlequin? She scanned the blurry faces for the one that was dancing through her mind but to no avail. Forgetting about her mission for water, she rushed to the door. Was he really so unimportant that her comrades had forgotten him? Though she didn't remember the past two weeks, she could still vaguely recall feeling pain, not hers, but someone else that was linked to her tighter than a worm on a hook. Flinging the door open, she frantically began her dash forward, only to trip a second time over an unidentified object.

"Harlequin..?" She lifted herself up from the ground. "I'm so sorry, are you ok?" She helped King up from his place on the ground. Slinging one of his small arms around her shoulders, Diane grabbed his waist. She almost fell over again in surprise as his entire body weight was leant against her until the fairy was practically hanging off her sturdy frame. Groggily he lifted his head and turned it to look at her. "Diane..." He began, but his head drooped. Sitting them both down, she arranged herself so that his head was resting in her lap.

"What happened to you Harlequin?" She tried to keep her voice from cracking when she looked down at him. His eyes screamed fatigue and pain, his limbs felt stiff, and there was no hint of joy anywhere on his face. Never had Diane ever seen him so desolate and alone.

"So you remember?" His voice was just a hoarse croak, blending with the hollow songs the crickets sang outside the tavern. "I'm so sorry Diane." A single tear ran down the side of his face. It forged a wet trail across his cheek and fell defeated in her lap. The giantess stared at it for a moment, before a fiery passion enveloped her eyes and evaporated the water droplet.

"What are you sorry for?" The voice that left her mouth was soft, despite the burning determination etched into her features. "You helped me remember those happy years. You healed the scar in my mind and gave me back the days when I was young, when I could dance with you carefree under the sky." She smiled down at him. Diane had figured out how she had lost her memories a long time ago, and she bore no grudges for the one she loved. "I don't care what you took from me, I have it back and there is nothing that could taint the joy I feel right now." This time her tears joined King's, as they flowed as one into a river of prosperity, like the one they had frolicked in when they were children.

Peace had finally settled in Diane, and she finally felt complete. Sitting with the one she loved, in the place she loved, with the people she loved right behind her. Gazing into the eyes of the one below her, she could see that the wave of calm had flowed over him too. Without thinking, only obeying instinct and gut feeling, she leaned down and brought her lips to his.

It was messy, wet with their tears, but a promise, one that would not be broken, a promise of everlasting happiness. The kiss ended almost too soon, but the lust still lay in their souls. Curling up together on the wooden boards, they drifted into sleep, hearts and minds content.

...

_**I finished the manga about a week ago, and I'm hoping the author will write an epilogue because I have to find out what happens next. As for this fanfiction, it has come to a conclusion. I want to thank you all for your support and advice throughout. I feel like I rushed the ending a bit, and I might make an epilogue but don't expect anything and it probably wouldn't be done for another 6 months. Also for everyone suffering in self-isolation, I feel you. The coronavirus is affecting my schoolwork and social life but it won't be ending for another few months so hang in there. If you actually read all this, you should be proud. ~ Silver**_


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